Making Pledges for the Planet

Earth Day gave the Parker community an opportunity to support environmental protection and sustainability.

In the weeks leading up to Wednesday, April 22, the 2026 observance of Earth Day, teachers helped educate one another on the history of the holiday and stoke ideas for developmentally appropriate ways to honor the occasion in classrooms.

On Earth Day, teachers asked students to wear blue or green to show support for the planet. The cafeteria eschewed the use of to-go containers, water bottles and plastic utensils. The Climate and Sustainability Committee suggested all members of the community consider making a pledge to help take care of the planet and adhere to that pledge for a day or more.

Next, the Climate and Sustainability Committee collected and displayed student pledges in the Kupcinet Gallery alongside an oversized illustration of the planet adorned with animals created by 5th grade students. Other student pledges showed up on dry erase boards and through in-class assignments. Employees wrote their pledges on cardboard and prominently displayed them on themselves to encourage dialogues within the school throughout the day and beyond.

The observance of Earth Day, which lasted the entire week, included chalk art drawing, an Earth exhibit in the Kovler Family Library and a plant sale to benefit Great Lakes Chicago, an NGO that protects the Great Lakes through advocacy, education and research. 

On Earth Day proper, teachers and students honored the planet in a range of ways. Younger students picked up litter on campus, while older students traveled off campus, expanding beautification efforts in Lincoln Park and beyond. Other students planted flowers in planter boxes, adding more nature to the spaces near their classrooms. One 2nd grade classroom took a community nature walk and used their senses to write down their observations of Earth, then used those observations to think about human impact on the Earth. Students discussed some habits (turning off the water while brushing teeth, using reusable water bottles and grocery bags, recycling or composting, etc.) they have at school and home and took pride in making pledges to take care of planet Earth. 

Take a look at photos from Earth Day at Parker here.